NEW YORK, NY – February 20, 2018 – Women in the Boardroom (WIB), a leading global organization committed to advancing women in the workplace and corporate boardrooms, announced its 150th board seat opening notification today. The milestone comes on the heals of Time magazine’s January cover which featured several dozen women candidates, all of whom the magazine says are running for office for the first time and were inspired to do so by last year’s Women’s March.
2017 saw a 70 percent increase in WIB’s corporate board seat notifications compared to 2016, with 65 percent of these seats being with public companies. “It’s clear that the landscape is changing for women and now more than ever, women need to show up, stand up and speak up and do the work it takes to get their seat at the table” said Sheila Ronning, WIB CEO and Founder. “We must support one another and that’s what WIB is all about. Educating women and providing them with the knowledge and tools necessary to get those boardroom seats.”
Over the last 16 years WIB has been focused on providing women with the knowledge of serving on corporate board seats and what they can do to get their seat at the table. One of these examples can be seen with WIB member Tina Donikowski, retired Vice President of GE Transportation and current Board Member of three public boards, including CIRCOR International, a global manufacturer of environmental products. “My conversations with Sheila Ronning were, by far, the most impactful aspect of my WIB membership. Sheila is engaged and direct and inspires confidence. I truly believe my WIB membership contributed to my securing my board positions.”
WIB was founded in 2002 with the mission of creating an environment where women could assist other female colleagues in achieving their leadership and corporate board service goals. To date, 40 percent of WIB members are serving on corporate boards. WIB accomplishes this by ensuring their members have a board portfolio that highlights their skill set for board positioning and teaching them how to network their way to a corporate board seat.
About Women in the Boardroom:
Women in the Boardroom (WIB) offers a customized step-by-step approach to getting your 1st, 2nd or 3rd corporate board seat. In addition to its coaching program, WIB provides various offerings designed to connect their members with board contacts such as its Matchmaking Program, board opening notifications and exclusive invites to events such as the Annual Board Assembly. Senior-level executive women are encouraged to join as a member of WIB to accelerate their path into the corporate boardroom as well. For more information visit www.womenintheboardroom.com.
